diff --git a/ethereum/p2p/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/p2p/network/netty/NettyPeerConnection.java b/ethereum/p2p/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/p2p/network/netty/NettyPeerConnection.java
index 53c9f85e1e..b99e90fd27 100644
--- a/ethereum/p2p/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/p2p/network/netty/NettyPeerConnection.java
+++ b/ethereum/p2p/src/main/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/p2p/network/netty/NettyPeerConnection.java
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ final class NettyPeerConnection implements PeerConnection {
   private final PeerInfo peerInfo;
   private final Set<Capability> agreedCapabilities;
   private final Map<String, Capability> protocolToCapability = new HashMap<>();
-  private final AtomicBoolean disconnectDispatched = new AtomicBoolean(false);
   private final AtomicBoolean disconnected = new AtomicBoolean(false);
   private final Callbacks callbacks;
   private final CapabilityMultiplexer multiplexer;
@@ -81,6 +80,10 @@ final class NettyPeerConnection implements PeerConnection {
     if (isDisconnected()) {
       throw new PeerNotConnected("Attempt to send message to a closed peer connection");
     }
+    doSend(capability, message);
+  }
+
+  private void doSend(final Capability capability, final MessageData message) {
     if (capability != null) {
       // Validate message is valid for this capability
       final SubProtocol subProtocol = multiplexer.subProtocol(capability);
@@ -133,10 +136,9 @@ final class NettyPeerConnection implements PeerConnection {
 
   @Override
   public void terminateConnection(final DisconnectReason reason, final boolean peerInitiated) {
-    if (disconnectDispatched.compareAndSet(false, true)) {
+    if (disconnected.compareAndSet(false, true)) {
       LOG.debug("Disconnected ({}) from {}", reason, peerInfo);
       callbacks.invokeDisconnect(this, reason, peerInitiated);
-      disconnected.set(true);
     }
     // Always ensure the context gets closed immediately even if we previously sent a disconnect
     // message and are waiting to close.
@@ -145,16 +147,10 @@ final class NettyPeerConnection implements PeerConnection {
 
   @Override
   public void disconnect(final DisconnectReason reason) {
-    if (disconnectDispatched.compareAndSet(false, true)) {
+    if (disconnected.compareAndSet(false, true)) {
       LOG.debug("Disconnecting ({}) from {}", reason, peerInfo);
       callbacks.invokeDisconnect(this, reason, false);
-      try {
-        send(null, DisconnectMessage.create(reason));
-      } catch (final PeerNotConnected e) {
-        // The connection has already been closed - nothing left to do
-        return;
-      }
-      disconnected.set(true);
+      doSend(null, DisconnectMessage.create(reason));
       ctx.channel().eventLoop().schedule((Callable<ChannelFuture>) ctx::close, 2L, SECONDS);
     }
   }
diff --git a/ethereum/p2p/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/p2p/network/netty/NettyPeerConnectionTest.java b/ethereum/p2p/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/p2p/network/netty/NettyPeerConnectionTest.java
index d061b59c0c..6087e3fcfb 100644
--- a/ethereum/p2p/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/p2p/network/netty/NettyPeerConnectionTest.java
+++ b/ethereum/p2p/src/test/java/tech/pegasys/pantheon/ethereum/p2p/network/netty/NettyPeerConnectionTest.java
@@ -13,7 +13,12 @@
 package tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.p2p.network.netty;
 
 import static java.util.Collections.emptyList;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatThrownBy;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.anyBoolean;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.doAnswer;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
 import tech.pegasys.pantheon.ethereum.p2p.api.PeerConnection.PeerNotConnected;
@@ -30,7 +35,6 @@ import io.netty.channel.Channel;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelFuture;
 import io.netty.channel.ChannelHandlerContext;
 import io.netty.channel.EventLoop;
-import org.assertj.core.api.Assertions;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
@@ -71,7 +75,21 @@ public class NettyPeerConnectionTest {
   @Test
   public void shouldThrowExceptionWhenAttemptingToSendMessageOnClosedConnection() {
     connection.disconnect(DisconnectReason.SUBPROTOCOL_TRIGGERED);
-    Assertions.assertThatThrownBy(() -> connection.send(null, HelloMessage.create(peerInfo)))
+    assertThatThrownBy(() -> connection.send(null, HelloMessage.create(peerInfo)))
         .isInstanceOfAny(PeerNotConnected.class);
   }
+
+  @Test
+  public void shouldThrowExceptionWhenAttemptingToSendMessageWhileDisconnecting() {
+    doAnswer(
+            invocation ->
+                assertThatThrownBy(() -> connection.send(null, HelloMessage.create(peerInfo)))
+                    .isInstanceOfAny(PeerNotConnected.class))
+        .when(callbacks)
+        .invokeDisconnect(any(), any(), anyBoolean());
+
+    connection.disconnect(DisconnectReason.USELESS_PEER);
+
+    verify(callbacks).invokeDisconnect(connection, DisconnectReason.USELESS_PEER, false);
+  }
 }